No fuss, no frills-
just your basic
brush and go kinda hair.
A cigarette hanging out of her mouth
and butts on the ground;
kissed with her bright red lipstick.
My mother could do anything she set her mind on.
When we were small,
we thought of her doing "man jobs".
That was pretty impressive,
for a lady
who grew up in the 40's and 50's.
Long ago,
mom wore gowns of tulle-
Twirling with young gentlemen in white dinner jackets.
Balls at the Stork Club,
trips to Europe with friends,
and high balls before dinner.
Glasses-
kissed with her bright red lipstick.
Catholic boarding schools
framed her past,
yet rebellion was shaping her future.
Staring at her photos;
wavy hair of the 1940's,
held with hair pins and Aqua Net.
Almost expelled due to her glamorous habit.
In reality, mom was not as elegant and refined as I wanted to believe....
She did NOT want to put on dresses before my father came home.
She did NOT want to cook or clean-
hiding the dirty dishes in the oven,
before her mother came to visit.
Dreams of working in a hardware store
were far from reach.
Mom endured five miscarriages between my sister and me.
One in the bathroom stall
while getting her doctorate at Columbia.
Feelings were held at bay, as it was un-lady like to show emotions in public.
Then adopting a baby boy from the nuns-
so my father could have a son.
Puffs of stress now filled the air.
A leader at heart... she taught,
lead many organizations,
and started two different businesses.
Divorced after twenty-seven years,
she was now shunned by their friends.
Going it alone, she hired for mundane chores.
I learned how to change tires, check my oil, and fill my battery with water. We would take Sunday drives getting lost in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. She taught me to "follow the sun and you'll never get lost."
Ashes were flicked out of the side of the window.
Mom, in her eighties,
just finished teaching.
She doesn't need to fix anything, cook, or worry about money.
Living with my sister's family she can now play with her i-pad, Kindle and digital toys.
My mother,
a woman of the future,
well-educated, independent and resourceful.
So many qualities to emulate-
just not the cigarette
kissed
with the bright red lipstick.
just your basic
brush and go kinda hair.
A cigarette hanging out of her mouth
and butts on the ground;
kissed with her bright red lipstick.
My mother could do anything she set her mind on.
When we were small,
we thought of her doing "man jobs".
That was pretty impressive,
for a lady
who grew up in the 40's and 50's.
Long ago,
mom wore gowns of tulle-
Twirling with young gentlemen in white dinner jackets.
Balls at the Stork Club,
trips to Europe with friends,
and high balls before dinner.
Glasses-
kissed with her bright red lipstick.
Catholic boarding schools
framed her past,
yet rebellion was shaping her future.
Staring at her photos;
wavy hair of the 1940's,
held with hair pins and Aqua Net.
Almost expelled due to her glamorous habit.
In reality, mom was not as elegant and refined as I wanted to believe....
She did NOT want to put on dresses before my father came home.
She did NOT want to cook or clean-
hiding the dirty dishes in the oven,
before her mother came to visit.
Dreams of working in a hardware store
were far from reach.
Mom endured five miscarriages between my sister and me.
One in the bathroom stall
while getting her doctorate at Columbia.
Feelings were held at bay, as it was un-lady like to show emotions in public.
Then adopting a baby boy from the nuns-
so my father could have a son.
Puffs of stress now filled the air.
A leader at heart... she taught,
lead many organizations,
and started two different businesses.
Divorced after twenty-seven years,
she was now shunned by their friends.
Going it alone, she hired for mundane chores.
I learned how to change tires, check my oil, and fill my battery with water. We would take Sunday drives getting lost in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. She taught me to "follow the sun and you'll never get lost."
Ashes were flicked out of the side of the window.
Mom, in her eighties,
just finished teaching.
She doesn't need to fix anything, cook, or worry about money.
Living with my sister's family she can now play with her i-pad, Kindle and digital toys.
My mother,
a woman of the future,
well-educated, independent and resourceful.
So many qualities to emulate-
just not the cigarette
kissed
with the bright red lipstick.